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*Official* Second Test at Lords

Prince EWS

Global Moderator
Would agree, Strauss looked all at sea on the most part when he batted at 3 in NZ
True, but he looked all at sea for the previous twelve months or so when opening; I think it was more a case of him being in trough than not being suited to it. For someone with such a ridiculously good conversation rate, he's nothing more than a 'good' Test batsman. I can't shake the feeling that he'd grow a leg if he didn't have to face the brand new ball quite as often.

Not to mention the fact that someone with an excellent conversation rate without being a particular excellent batsman is going to be generally of more use to the team at thee than opening anyway, even if his output was exactly the same.
 

Richard

Cricket Web Staff Member
Yeah, I personally think Strauss would be awesome at 3 with a settled opening pair to protect him from the full, moving ball a little, though. I don't really have any performances to back that opinion up as such but I'd really like to see it given a go if possible; I think Strauss could be a star at 3 and it's something I've always wanted to see given more of an run. That's why I wasn't that outraged when he batted three in New Zealand with Vaughan opening, although I still don't really know why that happened and was reversed as soon as Strauss tonned up. :confused:
Strauss has the best technique against the new-ball of any Englishman since... well, probably Graham Gooch. Has a great judgement of off-stump and leave, and has now by-and-large put the drive (which caused him so many problems in 2006 and 2007) away. Trescothick, Cook and Vaughan (the others to open in recent times) were all much inferior.

Anyway 57-0 at Lunch. I'd have been very happy indeed with that an hour ago. And I will now kick back and enjoy the footage from '74/75.
 

Jakester1288

International Regular
Has a great judgement of off-stump and leave
Hilfenhaus and first innings dismissal to deny. :ph34r:

Seriously though, England getting Trescothick back would be awesome, he would be a great addition to their team, allowing Bopara to move down the order where he probably belongs or be dropped until another opportunity presents itself.

However he has said that he won't be playing for England again, but he would play a Test perhaps if it was a one off if the Test side had an injury crisis.
 

Burgey

Request Your Custom Title Now!
What I REALLY want to know is how is Burgey enjoying his dinner party with his English guest? :D
Yeah, he's a good fella. Currently cooling his heels buried in my backyard after I stoved in his head with a shovel earlier on.

Shame too. He'd been working hard on his table manners for an Englishman - you could tell by the pock marks around his gob where he'd been practising eating with a knife and fork.
 

stumpski

International Captain
Should just get him playing home ODIs and T20s I reckon, he couldn't find that too pressurising surely?


Couldn't really mess about with the Test team for someone who won't go on tour, though.


Trescothick that is, not David Mitchell.
 
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TT Boy

Hall of Fame Member
Should just get him playing home ODIs and T20s I reckon, he couldn't find that too pressurising surely?


Couldn't really mess about with the Test team for someone who won't go on tour, though.
He wouldn't do the Champions Trophy in South Africa, 20/20 WC in the Windies or the 50 over WC in the sub (a place where even in the best state of mind he didn't like touring), so what is point?
 

pasag

RTDAS
Yeah, he's a good fella. Currently cooling his heels buried in my backyard after I stoved in his head with a shovel earlier on.

Shame too. He'd been working hard on his table manners for an Englishman - you could tell by the pock marks around his gob where he'd been practising eating with a knife and fork.
:laugh:
 

Burgey

Request Your Custom Title Now!
Your team is effectively 0-270 with two days and two sessions to go, and that's what you come up with.

Is it the climate that does this to people?
 

Prince EWS

Global Moderator
Strauss has the best technique against the new-ball of any Englishman since... well, probably Graham Gooch. Has a great judgement of off-stump and leave, and has now by-and-large put the drive (which caused him so many problems in 2006 and 2007) away. Trescothick, Cook and Vaughan (the others to open in recent times) were all much inferior.
Well, visually it seems that way, yet he bats so much better once the ball is older. Now it's possible that this is simply a case of Strauss being more comparatively vulnerable once set than 99% of batsmen in Test history, but somehow I don't think that's the case, particularly given it didn't really happen at First Class level. Everyone can see that the guy has problems keeping out the full, swinging ball and this would obviously have less impact against him if he was batting three.

Strauss gets out for less than 50 whilst opening a staggering 73% of the time. Trescothick does so 69% of the time and Cook just 63%. It's just too many failures from someone whose secondary role after the obvious "score as many runs as possible" is protecting the upper middle order from the new ball. Yet, despite this, he averages the most of three as his concentration against the older ball is awesome.
 
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wpdavid

Hall of Fame Member
I'm even later and cant be bothered trawling the last few pages, so what's the verdict here about not enforcing the follow-on?
 

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